On May 25, 1984, the Chicago Cubs acquired a future Hall of Famer. Unfortunately, most of his legendary production would happen for another team.

The 1984 Cubs were competitive early, and the front office rewarded them for it. In late May, the Northsiders sent backup 1B Bill Buckner to the Boston Red Sox for starter Dennis Eckersley, who had fallen on tough times in the American League. A former All-Star, the Eck was struggling through an ugly spring. After the trade, he quickly turned his season around and resurrected his career in the process.

Eckersley made 24 starts for the surprising Cubs. In 160.1 innings, the 29-year-old righty went 10-8 with a solid 3.03 ERA. He became an essential part of a dynamic rotation that would lead the team to a division title. Of course, Steve Garvey and some poor defense would deny the Cubs a trip to the World Series.

1985 was another productive year for Eckersley, at least when he was able to take the ball. Injuries plagued him and his fellow starters, but the Eck was still solid: 169.1 innings, 11-7, 3.08 ERA. The Cubs failed to repeat that season, but the future still looked bright.

The other shoe dropped in 1986. Eckersley fell apart that year, giving up 226 hits in 201 innings. Crooked numbers seemed to follow him every outing, and the team collapsed. In 1987, the Eck was shipped to the A’s for a collection of no-name players who never amounted to anything (not a “good call”). It was in Oakland that the real Dennis Eckersley was born. The rest, as they say, is history.

It’s too bad that somebody in Chicago didn’t come up with the idea to try him as a reliever. Looking back, it seems like an obvious move. Even though a HUGE opportunity was missed, Eckersley had two strong seasons for the Cubs, who only gave up a reserve player to get him. Bringing him to Chicago was a great move, even knowing what we know today.

The Eck was just ever so slightly before my time as a big Cubs fan. Then he moved to the AL where he might as well have been in Siberia. To this day I just don’t give a rip about the AL.
I had a thought that has absolutely nothing to do with baseball. Am I the only one who has this nagging suspicion that one of these supercolliders are going to lead to the destruction of the planet? One day the headline is “Worlds Largest Supercollider Begins Operation”. The next day, POP, it’s over…

Buddy

Yes Chuck, you are the only one.

MJ

I remember the trade for Eck. And to think they then went out and got Sutcliffe too….those were the days.

http://swantron.com jswanson

Sorry Chuck…not going to happen. There simply is not enough mass at play to create a self sustaining black hole, or any other scary-sounding phenomenon.

Seymour Butts

Anti-matter is a really neat idea as a power source..for a TV show. Real world physics has yet to produce such a substance (or anti-substance), though oppositely charged particles smacking into another can pack a punch.
So sleep well Chuck my friend, something else will get us all much sooner.

Bryan Mueller

I do get a kick out of the scientists who say “The probability of total world-wide destruction is so small we won’t even consider it.” I myself have no worries about the supercolliders (I dabble in physics but am far from an expert) but it is kinda scary how the scientists replied. To quote Lloyd Christmas from Dumb and Dumber, “So you’re saying there’s a chance?”

Terrelle Pryor 2

I thought the Cubs wanted to make him a reliever, he refused, so they traded him to Oakland, and LaRussa was like, you’re going to be a reliever whether you like it or not

Doc Raker

Eck’s drinking habits played a roll in his performance, he hit the juice pretty hard at one time. Playing day baseball in Chicago isn’t a good place for a drinker, unless you are behind the WGN microphone, I miss Harry. There was another prominant closer for Seattle in the late 70′s early 80′s who was a great young thrower for the Cubs. I remember watching him pitch at Wrigley against the Dodgers and he retired the Dodgers in order for the first 3 innings. Then the second time around they hit 2 home runs in the 4th inning alone. Thereafter he became a solid closer for Seattle. Was it Bill Cadell? I don’t know if I am spelling hisname correctly.

Doc Raker

Scientist are wrong all the time. It took Edison thousands of different trials before getting the light bulb correct. There are a bunch of scientist today that think they understand the future of the earths climate without even studying how the sun effects the climate. I am sure these scientist understand these supercollider thing a ma jigs just fine, unless it is financed with federal grant dollars.
If that is the case you then have to be aware of the scientific political complex distorting pure science.

Buddy

Was it Jay Howell?

Doc Raker

Bill Caudill is the guy I am thinking of. He was a poor starting pitcher for the Cubs from 79-81 and he was then a pretty good closer for Seattle in 82 & 83 and for Oakland in 84. His career ended after 87. I remember him as a hard thrower and one of those guys that the Cubs should of realized he was better off in the pen but didn’t.

Buddy

How could I forget Bill Caudill?

Doc Raker

Ha, do you really remember him? I remember walking away from that game being excited about this young hard throwing pitcher that dominated the big hitting Dodgers for 3 innings but then fell apart and thinking he would be good in the bullpen. If a 17 year old kid could see this why couldn’t the Cubs fron office at the time? Who was the Cubs GM back then, Kennedy? The last GM of the Wrigley family era.

Buddy

I do indeed. If memory serves, he had a giant crazy moustache. He must have hurt his arm, becauase he was out of baseball at age 30.

chris in Illinois

One thing to remember about the Eck’s 1986 season is that the Cub’s ‘defense’ was particularly brutal that year with Matthews, Moreland and Mumphrey logging the bulk of the outfield starts that year. The team led the league in doubles allowed by a crazy margin (if memory serves, there was a bigger gap between the Cubs and team #11, than there was between team #11 and the best in the NL that year)…poor Eck surrendered 58 two baggers with the ‘Old Sarge, Zonk and mopey Mumphrey patrolling the outfield that year ((OK Dernier played 2/3 of the season, but still….).

If that squad had played in Coors, the Eck might have given up a 100 doubles.

Buddy

You’re 100 percent right about the OF defense that year Chris. Absolutely brutal.

Doc Raker

Sounds like if that OF squad played in Coors field they would of given up 100 triples and some inside the park home runs. Mumphry was no Jerry Morales, that’s for sure.